Legacy of Camp Half-Blood - The Moon
by celestia193
Summary: It's been a year since Ciara was plunged into a world of monsters, gods, and their demigod children. After a terrifying and exciting summer, and ten months back in the mortal world, Ciara is headed back to camp, where a new challenge awaits. Enter Ciara's godmother; Thalia, daughter of Zeus and Artemis's Lieutenant. Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO, Rick Riordan gets that credit.
1. Here We Go Again

**Welcome back, Scrivener, I am so happy to have you and my newly repaired laptop back. Along with all of my notes for all of my stories, since I hated having to write without them.**

 **Oh, and welcome back to my readers, too. Can't forget about you guys.**

 **So, I promised you all a sequel in November (though I plan on making a whole series of stories in Rick Riordan's chronology style), and thanks to the return of Scrivener, I managed to get it organized much earlier than I expected. So, I've been working on the first chapter of the new summer for you. I'm hoping to make this story even better than the last one, so wish me good luck and keep sending in that feedback for me. The more I get, the more inspired I am to write (you know, around assignments and all that).**

 **And that's a good thing, considering that National Novel Writing Month is starting in a few days, and I'll be digging out some of my novel projects (you know, the ones that I actually plan on getting published), and I'll be working on finishing a whole novel in less than a month. Along with four major projects for my various classes. Busy, busy, busy...**

 **Just like during the last story, I will be looking through the reviews on this one in case anyone wants to suggest a demigod. If you've read my other story, you know the drill for getting one put on the list. If you haven't read my other story...you might wanna go and read it first, because this is a SEQUEL, a second story in the series that this will become.**

 **This chapter is going to contain some Nico and Ciara moments (you know funny and cute stuff that we all love, well I hope that we all love it).**

 **Please Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Why did I want to go back to mortal school again?_ That's a question that I've been asking myself a lot lately. It's not like I don't have other options, but for some reason that I can no longer fathom, at the end of last summer, I thought that it would be fine to just go back to my regular school like nothing happened.

Big mistake. Like, Chimera big.

For the last ten months, I've been mulling over the same problem almost daily. I'm bored. I'm hyper. Sitting still is even more difficult than it used to be. And it's almost impossible to focus on anything my teachers say. Because of that, my grades this past year have suffered a little, dropping down into straight B's. It's actually rather appalling to think about, since I used to get straight A's.

My teachers have been asking me if there's anything going on at home that's been giving me trouble, or if I need to talk to someone. But my answer is always the same. No, I don't need to talk to anyone. I mean, what would a mortal councilor be able to do for the kind of things I have to deal with? And everything is fine at home, so it's not even any of the normal things that hold most kids back from doing their best. Actually, it's better than ever at home. Now that Mom and Dad aren't keeping a mountain of secrets from me, I feel closer to them than ever.

No…my problem seems to be a fairly simple one, actually. I'm a demigod, and I spent all of last summer burning off every bit of my excess energy one way or another. Not to mention that since the little incident with the golden death mask, my energy levels have at least tripled. I didn't even know that was possible. But I suppose that it must have been something along the lines of my demigod nature having been dormant for twelve years prior to the incident.

So…I suppose that answers the question, right? Then why it is that I can't seem to burn off the energy anymore, no matter how hard I work in sports?

Now that it's the end of June once again, I'm starting to suspect that the reason for my inability to focus stems from the fact that I'm stuck in a classroom for six hours a day, five days a week, trapped in the vile contraption known as a desk. Whoever invented them must have been a sadist. Not only are they as uncomfortable as my parents used to tell me, but they make all sorts of noises, like they haven't been oiled since the nineties.

Instead, I'd much rather be running around, swinging a sword, or two, or tossing daggers at a target, or even shooting arrows to try and set a record. Not that I would ever be able to beat Sam's record. That boy is amazing. I would even take the damned climbing wall over sitting in a desk, bored out of my mind. What I need is not sports with mortals, but exercise with my friends. The not quite mortal ones. The ones who can actually push me into sweating an ocean that refuses to adhere to my skin, thanks to the powers I inherited from Grandpa.

That's why, when the last bell of the year rings throughout the mortal school, cheers going up all around me, I simply sigh in relief. _Finally…it's over…_ I sling my bag over my shoulder and make for the door, now that the classroom is thankfully cleared out. I learned last year that it's best to just wait in the classroom until everyone has started racing out of the school. You're less likely to get trampled that way. It's the one thing that mortals can do almost as well as monsters. And I would know, since I've been chased and nearly trampled by a monster army before.

Another piece of advice that I took to heart was to empty my locker ahead of time and keep my backpack on me. So while all of the other students are scrambling with getting their stuff out of their lockers, I can just stroll through the halls, unnoticed. Never before have I so wanted to get out of this place, the compulsion is actually rather frightening.

Well, so far, I've gone relatively unnoticed, that is, until my classmate Cassidy spots me. She races over to me, her backpack flopping off her shoulder like a beached dolphin. "Hey, Ciara, I didn't know you were into older guys!" That came completely out of nowhere.

I blink bemusedly. "Wait, what?" I have no idea where any of this came from. "What are you talking about?" As far as I know, I have never given any indication as to what I am or am not into. And I certainly haven't figured out what I' into. I'm thirteen, I'm not supposed to be trying to figure that out. I'm too busy trying to not only get through school, but survive long enough to graduate. And that's still quite a few years off.

Cassidy giggles loudly. "Oh, don't be like that. There's a gorgeous man waiting for you in the lobby!"

"A gorgeous man?" After last summer, I've learned to be suspicious of just about everything. "What does he look like?" _And how old is this guy? Because just the fact that you used the word man probably means that he's way too old for you. And if he's too old for you, then he's definitely too old for me._ And considering that I know some very old people, that's actually not too difficult.

Cassidy's grin grows wider. "Tall, dark, and definitely handsome. He looks foreign too, and he's got a bit of an accent, but he speaks English perfectly."

Wait a minute… This is sounding frightfully familiar. "Olive skin, hair like the night sky, and eyes like melted chocolate?"

Cassidy nearly swoons at the description. "Yeah…he's so dreamy…"

I snort with laughter. _There's only one person that fits that description that would come to get me at school and not try to burn the place down._ "I should probably have said this earlier, but I don't have a boyfriend." Though I know exactly who's waiting for me. "But if you want to meet him, you can show me where he's waiting."

She nearly squeals with delight, and she grabs my arm, dragging me eagerly towards the lobby. "So, what's his name?"

I smile wryly. "Well, if it's who I think it is…then his name is Nico di Angelo. And yes, he's foreign. He was born in Italy." Not to mention that he's got a half brother who was born in England. And I think that Sam might be onto something when he says that Hades has a thing for European ladies. Then again, my relatives come from all over the world, so it's hardly exclusive to the lord of the Underworld. That's probably one of the most interesting parts about being a legacy of two of the Greek gods, the sheer diversity of the people that I get to meet.

I can hear the whispers increasing as we get closer to the lobby. And they all seem to be discussing the same thing. The mysterious man who's shown up at our school out of the blue. Though I have a feeing that it's hardly something unplanned. In fact, I would bet five drachma that Dad sent Nico to get me. After all, it means that he and Mom could leave early for camp, and Nico could just Shadow Travel me there. After all, it's not like they're trying to keep a huge secret like a whole world of gods and demigods from me anymore.

The lobby comes into sight, and the number of people watching and wondering has increased. They must not be used to seeing older people outside of the staff hanging out in the school. And right there, leaning against the wall in the middle of all of the attention, is my godfather. And he looks surprisingly calm, considering that there's people pointing at him from all over the place. His little brother would probably have a heart attack if he was the object of that much attention. That, or he might crack the ground open and let it swallow up my school.

Cassidy giggles even more as we get closer, prompting me to roll my eyes. _She's definitely got the wrong idea…and why is she so interested in this anyway!? We're thirteen!_ But I fear that those questions will go unanswered, because as soon as Nico spots me, his smile draws me over to him, fully occupying my attention.

Nico subtly ignores the overeager girl behind me, focusing all of his attention on me. "Hey, Ciara. Did you have a good time at school?"

I grimace slightly. "Have you seen my report card?" It's something that I'm definitely not proud of and I'm not looking forward to showing my parents later.

Nico smiles apologetically. "Hey, straight B's is great. I mean, have you seen your Dad's old report cards? He was a straight C's student at the best of times. And you've had a lot on your plate this past year."

He's definitely right about that. Since I stayed at the same school for this past year, I've had to make sure that none of the mortals discover any secrets that they shouldn't. Though it's not like I've gone and flooded any bathrooms in this place. Not to mention taking detours and being extra careful on my way home, since monsters could sneak up on me at any moment. And I definitely don't want a repeat of what happened last summer with the manticore.

But pushing that aside, I smile up at him. "So, are we heading home first, or straight to the cabin?"

Cassidy gasps behind me, her hands over her mouth. Then, she leans towards me, whispering quietly. "I know he's gorgeous, but is he making you do things you shouldn't?"

It takes me a minute to take that in and translate it, something that I often have to do with incomprehensible classmates. But once I do, I feel my eye twitch in irritation. She took that completely the wrong way. There's no way that Nico would ever sdo anything like that. "Cassidy…maybe we should do some introductions." I back up, right into Nico's arms. "This is my godfather, Nico di Angelo. And just so you know, not only is he twice my age and an old friend of Dad's…but he's gay and married. And when he says cabin, he's talking about the cabin I stay in at the summer camp that he and my parents help run."

Her eyes go wide, and it's actually rather funny to see. "He's married?" I know that Nico looks like he's still in his early twenties, and it might be hard to imagine that he's permanently attached to a bright, bounding ball of sunshine, but it shouldn't come as that much of a shock to anyone that he's married. And that's not even counting the complications surrounding the story that I got told one morning at breakfast about how Nico was actually born almost a century ago. I nearly dropped my sausages on the floor when they told me.

Nico shakes a little behind me, probably trying to keep himself from laughing. Then, he holds up his hand, revealing the silver ring adorning it. "I'd be lying if I said that you weren't the first to be shocked. Now…" He kisses my hair and takes hold of my hand. "Let's get going. The boys are waiting for you."

I smirk slightly. "Which ones?" Three of them probably want to hug me, and the other two probably want another shot at kicking my ass. So it could be any of them, really.

Nico chuckles. "Sam and Eran mostly. Caiden has also been rather vocal in his demands that I come and get you out of school early. And even though he's not going to admit it, my little brother has been waiting rather impatiently for you to return to camp." Then, his expression grows a little more serious. "You know, if you're starting to have trouble here, I could always talk to the principal and have you transferred to a private school."

That's a topic that has come up several ties over the last year. Now that I know all about the demigods and monsters roaming the world, Dad suggested that maybe I should transfer to either the school in New Rome, or one of the schools here in New York that has a large population of demigods. One of those schools is the now private school that Nico has been suggesting. Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted. And so far, I've turned down a transfer every time.

Though with my grades dropping, I'm wondering if maybe it's about time I reconsider. Though, that can be a debate for another day. Because right now, I have a whole summer ahead of me, and some rather impatient friends waiting for me at camp.

So, I shake my head. "Let's talk about this another day. Right now, it sounds like there are some idiots waiting for me to show up."

"True." Nico doesn't protest the idiot label, probably because he agrees with me. "Then let's go, Jules-Albert has the car waiting outside."

"Oh?" I was under the impression that we were going to be shadow traveling to camp. "Alright then." I suppose that I can sped a few extra hours hanging out with my godfather. I turn back to my old classmate and smile. "Later!"

"Uh…later." She watches, rather stunned, as Nico walks me out the front doors, down the steps, and into the parking lot, where a black SUV is waiting for us, with its driver Misted to look more human than the zombie actually is.

Before Nico can reach for the handle, I pull the door open and toss my backpack inside before following it. Nico chuckles and follows me into the back seat, instead of calling shotgun or something. I frown slightly. "Aren't you gonna sit up front?"

Nico chuckles quietly. "No, the SUV is just a front." He taps on the darkened windows. "No one can see inside, and it's dark in here, which means that it's safe to travel from. Remember, there are some serious rules about what we can and can't do in front of mortals. Plus, it made the mortals less suspicious about me coming to pick you up with the vehicle out front."

It occurs to me that it's actually a rather good idea. With the premise of driving away stuck in the mind of anyone watching, Nico can just grab me from in here and go. No messy Mist cleanups, and little to no chance of being attacked before we can leave. "Oh. That makes sense." It's funny, only last year, I was completely oblivious to all of the mystical things going on around me. Now, it feels weird to think about people not being able to see the things that I do.

Nico smiles gently at me. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Well…that depends…" I consider the probability of Mom being a perfectionist versus Dad being forgetful. "Did they already bring my stuff to camp?" Last year, I was pretty unprepared for going to camp, but this year, I made sure to pack ahead of time. I've spent the last couple of weeks getting a duffel bag ready with everything I could possibly need in it. Dad thought that it was excessive, but Mom praised me for being prepared.

Nico laughs once more. "Yes, they brought your bag along. When they got to camp, Annabeth was already scolding Percy for nearly leaving it behind."

I sigh with relief. If Mom was scolding him, rather than panicking, then that's a pretty good sign. "Alright, then I guess we can go."

Nico tugs on my arm and pulls me into his lap, a place that I like very much. "I'll have Jules-Albert drop your backpack off at home for you. Is there anything that you need out of it?"

I shake my head quickly. "Nope, I've got all of my essentials on me." I lift up my left hand and let him see the bracelet there. "I'm all ready to go. And when we get there, I'm hoping to find someone to burn off some energy with. I've been sitting still in a classroom for thirty hours a week, for the past ten months."

"That's a long time." Nico smirks at me. "It's hard to believe that you could possibly sit still that long."

I scoff at him. "Well, it wasn't easy, let me tell you. But I managed it pretty well. I just wish that they'd let us have outdoor classes or something, I need more fresh air than this."

"Well, there'll be plenty of fresh air where we're going." Nico wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly. "Ready in three…"

A grin curls my lips. "Two."

"One." And just like that, the two of us disappear into the cold, gravity-defying darkness.


	2. On The Court

**Jeez, you guys are impatient… I've been pretty busy lately, what with all of my end of term essays and projects (which I'm still not done with, by the way). It's hard to update when I'm behind on basically everything, and it certainly doesn't inspire me to write when I have deadlines looming. So chill, please. University is not nearly as easy as you might think, especially in the history department, where the projects and essays are really difficult. Plus, I've got one due tomorrow, and one due the day after that. And that's actually pretty rough. In fact, I should be writing my essays instead of this, but you guys have waited long enough for an update. Can't believe the semester is going to be over next week though. Exams are going to be a pain, but what can you do?**

 **But no matter, on with the show. And I will be adding in new characters when appropriate. Look forward to that. This chapter is going to be about bonding. Oh, and mischief and pranks, one prank in particular that I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Around me, there's only pure darkness. But even in the darkness, there is still a hint of warmth. Nico. It's nice to get a hug from someone who isn't, despite the nonsensical rumors, as cold as the grave. Not sure how those rumors started in the first place, but whoever started them obviously wasn't on the receiving end of a hug from my godfather.

And I'm sure that a certain doctor will back me up on that. Though on second thought, maybe I should avoid getting the details on that. The last thing I need is to accidentally find out what my godfather and my doctor get up to when no one's looking.

I'm not sure if it's a second or a minute or even an hour later but suddenly, the darkness lifts, and everything explodes in a bright display of color. The bright green of trees, and the huge lawn that I've become so familiar with. The varied, almost garish colors of the many cabins. And of course the sky blue paint job of the Big House, that honestly looks like it's stuck back in the nineties. _Someone really needs to repaint that thing. It's a freaking eyesore. Who picked that color in the first place? It burns my eyes!_

Nico chuckles softly above me, ruffling my curly hair. "Welcome back, Ciara. Welcome home."

My smile widens as I turn towards the cabins, spotting the low stone bunker that makes up the Poseidon Cabin. It's strange, really, that I would be more comfortable sleeping in the beds here, than my own bed at home. But I suppose that Nico is kind of right. This place really does feel like home to me. And I've definitely missed this place since last summer.

I look up at Nico to see a smile on his face. "I-"

"Go." He pushes me towards my cabin. "I've got a meeting to get to, but I'll see you at dinner. And behave yourself."

Heat rises to my cheeks as I remember the last time he said that. It was right before I got into a whole mess of trouble that involved stairs, a toboggan, and two rather enthusiastic accomplices. And all in the middle of what was supposed to be a calm Christmas dinner. I can definitely say that it was the best Christmas ever.

The door opens easily at my touch, and I'm hit with a blast of salty air as I race inside. And, as promised, my stuff is already here and waiting on my bed for me. This means that I'm totally ready to get started with what's going to be my best summer yet. Because, let's be honest, getting kidnapped by a manticore put a bit of a downer on last summer.

I throw myself onto the vacant part of my bed, snuggling into the soft, warm blankets. I never thought that I would miss a bed in a summer camp cabin so much. But a nap is going to have to wait, because I know that I'm far from the first person to arrive, which means that I've got a few visits to make.

So, I pick myself up off the bed and poke my head out of my cabin. _Now…I think Kai said something near the end of last summer about being fond of basketball._ _I wonder if he might be killing time at the courts._ It's about the only other place I can think of, other than the arena, or locked in his cabin. And if he's in his cabin, then it'll take forever to drag him out of there. I've honestly never met anyone who resembles a mushroom in his habits as much as he does.

Leaving my cabin behind, I race across the grassy lawn and off towards the basketball courts. Even if Kai isn't there, I'm sure that I'll find one of my friends shooting hoops. That place is almost always busy with a game or two. And on the off chance that there's no one there, I might be able to have a little fun before going to track down the crazy people that I call my friends.

As I approach the court, I nearly trip over my own feet at the sight. I've certainly found what I was looking for and then some. I just wasn't expecting to find this, of all things.

Down on the basketball court are four figures, panting and sweating, and tossing around a basketball. Four of my favorite people in the world. I can't help smiling as I start moving again, racing towards the asphalt. I haven't seen anyone but Eran and Caiden since last summer. Though that's only because Their parents decided to have a Christmas get-together at my grandma's house. It was by far the noisiest and craziest Christmas I'd ever had. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

"Hey!" I race onto the court once it's apparent that their game is at an end, plowing right into Eran and Sam. "Gotcha!"

Groaning comes from beneath me as the two boys shake off the shock, before looking up at me. And instantly, Sam's eyes widen, revealing bright blue irises. "Ciara!"

"Hi!" I smile down at the two of them, and Eran grins right back up at me. "Well, I sure wasn't expecting to find all four of you here." I look back over my shoulder to a rather flushed looking son of Hades. "Especially since you don't usually play well with others."

Kai scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Basketball isn't much fun if you're playing by yourself." Then, he sighs, marching over to our little doggy pile. "Now let them up." He grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet, freeing Sam and Eran from my weight.

With Sam and Eran just outside of my reach, I turn on Kai and jump him, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding on tight. "I missed you too!"

A soft groan escapes his throat. "Come on…get off." He pushes at me gently, almost too gently.

Then, I get a whiff of him, and I release him, my nose crinkling. "Jeez, you stink! And you're all sweaty and gross!"

"Tch." He rolls his eyes once more. "Well, I was just playing basketball. Sports involve sweat, usually."

"No kidding…" My eyes roam along the grass, looking for a solution. And that's when I notice that the creek runs through this area. _Perfect…_ Discreetly, I put my new plan into action, quietly, slowly, so that I can have this work before they catch onto what I'm up to. After all, I can't have them dodging this, now can I?

Caiden walks over, grinning slightly at me. "Hey, it's good to see you."

"You too." I grin right back at him. "I can't wait for our next Christmas party. Though we should probably tone it down a bit next time. I think we almost gave Grandma a heart attack with our little stunt."

Caiden snorts and starts to giggle a bit. "Right, probably a good idea not to go sledding down the stairs again, especially with all three of us on the same sled. So, got any plans now that you're finally back?" He's got no idea what I've got in store for the four of them.

But he's about to find out.

I smirk mischievously. "This!" At a simple command, or rather just a whim, and with no chance for the boys to dodge in time, I drop a swimming pool's worth of water on the court, drenching all four of them.

The four of them hit the pavement thanks to the force of the water, though none of them seem injured at all. The worst that happens is that the four of them start coughing and sputtering, trying to wipe the deluge of water off of themselves. Eran especially looks like a drenched rat as he glares playfully up at me. "Hey, no fair!"

My smirk grows even wider. "Oh? How is that not fair? You guys are all hot and sweaty, so I thought I'd do you a favor and hose you down!"

"Hosing is one thing…but you didn't have to drop half the lake on us." Kai's eyes flash irritably. "Were you trying to kill us?"

I chuckle at Kai's silly assumption. "If I were trying to do that, I would have just washed the four of you into the lake. Besides, you're all demigods, nd with a lot more training than me. If you can't handle getting a little wet, then maybe you should spend less time playing basketball and more time swimming."

Sam shakes his head like a dog, sending drops of water flying in every direction. "Well, at least I'm feeling less hot." He starts wringing out his t-shirt, the others quickly following suit. Luckily for me, if I don't want to get wet, staying perfectly dry is no problem, no matter how much water I dump on us.

Eran is still grumbling a bit, which I'm pretty sure is because of his preference for being lit on fire, rather than nearly drowned. And it looks like Caiden is just trying to hold himself back so that he doesn't end up electrocuting himself by accident.

Kai, on the other hand, looks less like a drowned rat, and more like an annoyed older sibling. Though, I suppose in a way, everyone here is like that. And that's really weird to think about. He runs a hand through his hair, slicking back the pitch black locks and putting those gray eyes on display. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Aw…but you all love it, don't deny it!" It's so much fun teasing these guys. I found that out during the Christmas break when Caiden and Eran came over. It was basically a girls against boys free for all, and Caiden's little sisters were only too happy to help me against their older brother.

Kai flushes a deep crimson, Sam laughs, Caiden groans at what I assume is the same memory I just thought of, and Eran starts snorting flames as he tries to hold in his own laughter. Honestly, their reactions are the best, and I know that there's nothing I wouldn't give to make sure that these four could stay like this forever. A year ago, I would have scorned the thought, but now, things are definitely different.

Now, I've got the best pack of friends that I ever could have hoped for. Friends that I trust with my life. And that's not something easy for me to admit. Especially after everything that happened last summer.

Our resident brooding son of Hades gets to his feet, still dripping wet, and his bangs starting to flop back over his forehead. "Well, since you've insisted on drenching all of us, I'm going to go take a shower." He gives no one a chance to respond before taking off and disappearing into the shadow of one of the basketball hoops.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Caiden grumbles, then sneezes out some water. "Ugh…gross." He proceeds to wipe his nose with his sleeve, though it seems to be a bit of a futile battle. "Okay, maybe he's got a point. I'm gonna go shower as well."

Caiden stumbles off towards the cabins as well, leaving me with a couple of sopping wet idiots that I'd never replace, even with a couple of geniuses. I grab each of them by the arm and haul the two of them to their feet. "Well, that was fun."

Sam snickers. "Definitely." Then, he bumps into Eran gently. "Come on, it's not that bad. You look kinda like a little elf with your hair all flat!" Whereas Sam looks like he's had a huge egg cracked over his head, what with his bight blond hair completely drenched.

A pout twists up Eran's face, though it only serves to make him look even cuter, and reminds me that he's younger than me and Sam, no matter how much like a teenager he tries to act. "I don't wanna look like an elf!" That's a total lie, he looks way too much like his dad to not look like an elf.

I roll my eyes at his protest. "Well, then maybe I should dress you up like one of Santa's elves this Christmas. Might help you get over that aversion to them." In fact, I think I might just have a costume that would fit him lying around somewhere. _Note to self, after the summer break, go through closet and search for old Halloween costumes. If needed, find someone who can sew and make sure that it'll fit Eran._ Though that shouldn't be a problem, considering that Eran is built like I am. Short, slight, and with nothing to speak of in terms of physical female traits. Well, that's fine for Eran, since he's a guy. But when I look at the other girls my age, I feel a bit left behind.

 _Anyway, back to the elf idea…_

With a huff, Eran crosses his arms and stubbornly refuses to dignify my suggestion, leaving Sam to shake his head and smile. "Well, as much as I'd like to see that, we should probably head back and shower. It's going to be dinner soon, and now that you're here, we can all eat together."

Those words make me inordinately happy. Sure, I ate lunch with some friends at school, but it's just so different here. Here, I don't have to hide anything. Here, I've got friends who know me inside and out, and who accept that. I've even got Sam to help me through my rare, though unpredictable panic attacks. That is, if Nico or his fluffy ball of sunshine don't get to me first. Here, I'm safe, and free to be myself.

 _Now…I think it's about time to get ready for dinner._


	3. Chaos in the Pavilion

**Alright, so I'm finally back. I bet you all are happy about that. After getting swamped by final assignments and exams, for which I wrote about 20k words, with a mountain of research done, I ended up sleeping most of the break. But with the start of the semester, and all the sleep I caught up on over the holidays, my energy is back, and I'm ready to write.**

 **Now, this chapter isn't really very long, but it'll feel longer, thanks to the exchanges. And there's a lot of talking packed into this one, but I hope that it'll get you hyped a bit since I've been gone so long.**

 **So, without further ado...let's go look at some plotting teenagers. Because what can possibly go wrong?**

* * *

It's not long before I find myself in the big dining pavilion again. It's funny, I never knew that I could miss a building this much, especially one frequented by like two hundred people, some of which I don't like at all.

But then, my eyes fall on that familiar configuration of tables that almost seems permanent at this point. _Maybe they should just glue the tables together instead of shifting them back and forth. At this point, they're basically glued together already thanks to me and Kai and Caiden._

It looks like there are some people coming in to get an early start on dinner. _Now that I think about it… I pat my stomach slightly. I haven't eaten since breakfast._

Since it's probably a good idea for me to get some food into my stomach before the inevitable second tour of the camp that Sam is sure to take me on to show me whatever new stuff has been added to the camp, as well as anything that we might have missed during the tour last summer.

So, I head to the dining table to grab myself a plate, before settling down at the Poseidon portion of the three almost fused tables. _Hm…what do I want to- Oh I know._ I close my eyes for a moment, and when I open them, there are three slices of pizza, and a mountain of macaroni and cheese on my plate. "Awesome!"

"Getting a head start on stuffing your face already?" Kai sits across from me, a plate and cup of his own in front of him, and some mashed potatoes, gravy, and brisket on his plate. Along with…sushi?

I raise an eyebrow at the item that seems out of place on his plate. "You like sushi?"

He shrugs. "Mother was half Japanese. Even in England, she used to have some Japanese recipes kicking around. Sushi was among them."

"Well, just don't tell her what's in that, or she might feel like you're eating her cousins!" Caiden sit down next to Kai, while Sam sits on my side of the table. Jupiter's legacy grins. "So, if you eat sushi, does that count as cannibalism?"

I dignify the question with the response of scooping up some macaroni and flinging it straight onto his forehead. "I'm a legacy, not a fish. If you can't tell the difference, then I suggest that you go back to third grade."

Sam snickers as Caiden wipes the pasta from his face and tosses it into his mouth. "If you're not careful, your shroud is going to read 'Killed by my cousin for making a fish joke'." Thankfully, Apollo's son is a bit more cauious than my fellow legacy when it comes to cracking jokes.

"Don't tempt me." I grumble quietly, turning back to my food. I toss a whole piece of pizza into the closest brazier, before digging into the heaven on my plate. Forget ambrosia, this is what heaven is made of.

Sam laughs again. "Looks like Kai is rubbing off on you. You grumble the way he does." I turn my head and glare pointedly at Sam. And he holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Well, looks like you've got his scary glare, too. Alright, you win."

Kai scoffs. "Be glad she doesn't have my temper. If she did, you'd probably already have been washed right out of the pavilion."

I glance at Kai gratefully. "So, what's been going on here? Anything exciting I should know about?" Hopefully, it's not quite as exciting as last year, when I got attacked by some ares campers, then kidnapped by a manticore. That…is some excitement that I would gladly do without.

Kai shrugs. "Not that I know of. Everything has been pretty quiet. Well, except for our last capture the flag game. But those are never quiet."

"Actually…" Sam's earlier laughter disappears. "Our next game might turn out to be pretty interesting. Dad said that we were going to have some guests soon." He looks pointedly at Kai. "You remember them, right? From that capture the flag game two years ago?"

Kai immediately stops eating, his face starting to go a little pale. "They're coming back? But it's only been two years, they never pay this many visits. Not unless there's a war going on."

"Uh…who are you talking about?" I'm completely lost now, and I hate feeling so out of the loop. "Who are these guests you're talking about?"

Kai cringes slightly, and I'm not entirely sure why. "The Hunters of Artemis. Whenever they're here, they take over Cabin Eight. And they also make a point to beat our arses across the camp with a traditional game of capture the flag. They're sadistic and brutal, and get way too much pleasure out of making us suffer."

"Especially us guys." Sam nods quickly. "They basically hate all boys, unless they're gay. Then, they just tolerate them for the most part."

"So…they don't hate girls, then?" I'm feeling rather nervous about a group that even Sam would be hesitant in approaching.

Sam shakes his head. "Oh no, they don't hate girls. Well, unless they're daughters of Aphrodite, but that's because every time they show up, they recruit at least one or two of the girls here."

Ok, now I'm REALLY confused. "What's wrong with being recruited?"

"Nothing, but the oaths they take involve swearing off boyfriends and romance forever, and in exchange, you get to run around shooting a bow and hunting monsters as an eternal teenager." Will sits down next to me, the son of Zeus not at all fazed by the dirty look Kai is shooting him. "So unless you're a lesbian, or asexual, I wouldn't recommend it." He pauses for a moment. "Are you a lesbian or asexual?"

My cheeks heat up in an instant. "W-what kind of question is that!? How a I supposed to know!? I'm only thirteen!"

Caiden shrugs. "Well, Sam knows that he likes both boys and girls, but prefers boys. Eran likes everybody, but prefers Sam. Nico said that he knew when he was like…twelve. I dunno about mortals, but I'm pretty sure that most of us here at camp figure out what team or teams we swing for pretty early."

I lean back and groan slightly. "Can I just say…undecided?" I really don't want to have to pick a tam right now, and especially not in front of most of my friends, who just so happen to be guys.

"Undecided about what?" Eran is the next to join the table, sliding himself into the seat right next to Sam, and cuddling up like its nobody's business. "Wait, are you guys interrogating her about THAT?"

Great, so apparently they discuss my as of yet undecided sexuality when I'm not even around to defend myself. "Uh…sitting right here, you know."

"Hm…good point." He turns to me with a cheery expression. "Don't let these guys get to you. You don't have to feel like you should decide right now. Trust me, when you know it, you know it, there's no point in rushing it. I just had that moment a lot earlier than most people, and it happened totally by accident."

I raise an eyebrow at Calypso's son and Hephaestus' legacy. "What do you mean that it happened by accident?"

Eran smirks. "I think that's a story for another time. But more to the point, did I hear something about the Hunters paying us a visit? Are they coming to kick our asses in capture the flag again?"

He says that like it's normal, and Will nods. "Probably. I think that they're bored with the lack of a Great Prophecy, so they figure that coming here to kick our butts will be a good source of entertainment."

"Wait, how do you know they're going to win the game?" That's the part that I don't get. "I mean, they've got to lose sometimes."

The boys all shoot each other the same, pained, and rather embarrassed looks. And Caiden coughs loudly. "Actually, they don't. They haven't lost a single game in the history of Camp Half-Blood. We've never been able to beat them, no matter who was on the team."

My eyes widen at the news. "How many games have they played against the camp?"

"Almost seventy, I think." Will frowns slightly. "Yeah, I think that number is abut right."

Seventy games against the Hunters, and the campers have lost every single one. That…is so not going to fly. "Alright, then what's the plan?" I push away my mostly empty tray and look around at the boys staring at me. "If they're coming for a visit, and a game is going to be part of that, then what's our plan for ending their winning streak?" This is also the perfect chance to turn the conversation far away from topics that I'm just not ready to discuss yet.

Kai blinks, then pushes his own tray away. "You're serious…you actually want to bring the sixty-eight to nothing win streak of the Hunters of Artemis to an end."

"Yes, I do." I look around the table and grin. "And I think that our group is just what it might take to do that. Eran is good with traps, Sam is our best archer, between you, me, and Will, we can cover the land, water, and sky, Caiden is deceptively good at sneaking around, and if we recruit some more people, then I think we've got a fighting chance, no matter who the opponents are."

Will taps the table, nodding slightly. "Well, I suppose you've got a point there. But we're going to need one hell of a defensive line in order to protect the flag."

"I can do that." Kai glances at Will, thankfully without any hostility in his gaze. The two of them must have worked out most of their issues while I wasn't around. "Give me Eran, and a few of the Hephaestus and Apollo campers, and I'll make a fortress around the flag."

"Right, then I want Hannah, Galadriel, and Declan on my strike team." Will seems quite satisfied with his choices. "Ciara, what about you?"

I snort at the question. "Isn't it obvious, I'll take Sam and Caiden on my team, as well as…Carter, from the Hermes Cabin. And we should tell Jean about this so that she can choose her own strike team." Then I frown slightly. "Who are Galadriel and Hannah, anyway?"

Sam laughs. "Hannah is one of my half-siblings, and one of the best archers this camp has. You don't usually think much of her at first, since one second, she's unarmed, and the next, she's not. She got a unique ability from Dad, which she uses to harden light so that it can be touched. She'll use that to make herself a bow and unlimited arrows."

My eyes widen at the explanation. "Really? That's so cool!" I'd never heard of an ability like that. Especially since it's a big middle finger to mortal physics. "So, what about Galadriel?"

"She's one of the campers in the Hecate Cabin, foreign. She's originally from Norway, but after an…" Will glances at Kai. "Incident…she wound up here. That's usually how we get our trans-national campers."

"I see." Well, it sounds like we're all picking fairly balanced teams, teams that we can all work with, and that don't conflict with each other. "Well, it sounds like we've got a plan, now we just have to make sure that all of our picks are here, and willing to play with us against the Hunters." Because if the tones are any indication, then there may be some hesitation involved in going up against Cabin Eight.

"Are you guys plotting a game against the Hunters?" And just like that, Declan pops up behind us. "Because if you are, my cabin is in. We've been waiting for a chance to knock them off their pedestal."

A satisfied smile rises to my lips. "Oh, I think we're going to knock them off a few things, not just some pedestals. But it's good to know that we're not the only ones crazy enough to do this."

The seventeen year old counselor grins. "I'll let the word out that the Big Three are putting together a plan. And I'm sure that Cabin Ten will be looking for some revenge."

 _Cabin Ten…Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Love…oh…_ "Ah…I think I see why." Of course they would want a go at the Hunters, because form the sounds of it, the two cabins stand for the total opposite of each other.

Kai rolls his eyes slightly. "Just let the word out once it's confirmed that the Hunters are going to be here. No point in getting the whole camp riled up for nothing."

Declan's grin widens. "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. They arrive in three days."

The table immediately goes silent. Then Eran grins. "Well, then it looks like we've got three days to plan everything out. Send out the invites, because we've got to stack the odds in our favor as much as we can before the ladies arrive."

"Got it." Declan chuckles as he turns away from the table. "Then I'll do a head-count and see who's around. I'll get back to you by tomorrow morning with a list of all the campers who want in, and we can divide it up after you've picked your teams."

"Thanks a bunch, Declan." Will sighs and smirks as the son of Nemesis walks away. "Well, it looks like our chances of beating the Hunters just tripled. Declan is always a good ally to have. Leave it to children of the goddess of revenge to come up with a plan quickly to bring down their opponent. And they don't pull punches."

Moments later, the sound of a horse's feet echo through the steadily crowding pavilion, and come closer and closer to our mish-mash of tables. "And what, by the gods, are you children plotting this time?" I look over my shoulder to see Chiron with a raised eyebrow. "I just saw the counselor of Nemesis walking away from here, and I know that can't be a good thing when you kids are involved."

I turn around and smile eagerly at Chiron. "We're not doing anything bad. It's just that after hearing that the Hunters were going to visit, and that they always win the capture the flag games, I thought that it would be good to break their win streak."

The old centaur blinks, then scrutinizes us, before sighing resignedly. "I will tell the infirmary to have the medics ready. And I hope that this plan of yours works, because we often have more campers who need attention than Hunters."

My smile widens instantly. "Oh, don't worry, we've got plans. And we're going to spend the next three days working on them. They're going to blow you and the Hunters away, that's for sure."

His eyes flick from me, to Will, and then to Kai. "Yes…perhaps they will. Your little club seems to be…capable of the most dangerous and unwise suggestions made. If anyone can bring an end to the Hunters' winning streak, I suppose that it could be you." Obviously, he politely called us stupid and reckless, though it's hard to argue the accuracy of that, considering last summer. But if we can own it and make it work, then maybe that's not a bad thing.

But first, we've got plans to make and Hunters to defeat.


	4. Here Come the Hunters

**Wow, this took me forever to get back to. I've had…a very hectic few months. Between exams, working, getting caught up in collaborative fics, and bureaucratic stuff for the next school year, it's been insane trying to get any time or inspiration for my own fics. Oh, and computer failure, my old laptop decided to kill itself, so I had to get a new one, which took a lot longer than I hoped, and set me back a while. But at least I've gotten back into the swing of things (mostly) and we get some silly fun stuff, including new characters and old ones!**

* * *

I sit on my bed, Sam and Eran snuggled up on one end, and Kai lounging over near my pillows. Will, Declan, Jean, Otis, and a willowy blond girl are scattered across the other beds. "Okay, so we're all here to-"

"You guys in here?" A head pokes inside, and it's the dark-haired, blue-eyed son of Hermes that I was looking for. "Well, that's a yes. Sorry it took so long, I was rounding up some of the others." He pushes the door all the way open and looks around as he saunters in, followed by representatives from most of the other cabins. We;ve got a pretty good turn-out, more of a variety than I was expecting.

Including, surprisingly, Chantelle DuBois from the Aphrodite Cabin. A surprise, since usually the Aphrodite Cabin stays out of games this rough. Something about not wanting to break any nails, or mess up their clothes or hair. They're such Barbies. "Hey, I heard we were going up against the Hunters this time around." She's about a year older than me, I think, and definitely not one of the ones who had it out for me last year. Besides, that was last year, and there's no way that I'm getting caught off guard again, especially not with someone hanging around me almost every hour of every day. The boys are probably going to be obsessive about it, which of course means that I'm going to have to find time to sneak off. I can't be coddled every minute of every day. It would drive me crazy!

"You heard right." Will looks her up and down suspiciously, before relaxing a little. "Let me guess, the Aphrodite Cabin has a bone to pick with them, again."

"Don't we always?" She sits down on one of the couches, followed by an Ares boy not much older than her. "This is Grayson, son of Ares. Clarisse told him to come on behalf of the Ares Cabin." Probably chosen so as not to antagonize me, or anyone overly protective of me.

I raise an eyebrow at him. I didn't really see him around last year, but he might have just gotten lost in the crowd of faces. Now that I get a good look at him, he's…really different to the three idiots from last year. He definitely looks foreign.

But as I open my mouth, he holds up his hand. "Yeah, Mum is Egyptian, but nah, I'm from New Orleans." His accent is a little surprising, but southern, definitely southern. His fingers twist into a cord hanging around his neck with all sorts of carved beads on it. "So, Hunters are comin'. I hear you plan on bringin' the winnin' streak to an end."

"Well, yeah, that's the idea." I glance once more around the room at the dozen and a half people gathered here. "Okay, so I've never actually met the Hunters before, but since they're associated with Artemis, I'm going to go ahead and assume that there's going to be a lot of bows and arrows involved."

"Yeah, but that's not all." Will grimaces. "They recruit mortals, sure, but they recruit immortals as well, and demigods on top of that. My half-sister is their leader, Thalia Grace, Artemis' lieutenant."

"And my godmother…" Right, that's going to complicate things, a lot. "Okay, so assuming that they can plow through any offensive and defensive measure we put up against them, what's the best we've got from each cabin?"

Eran grins. "Every trap you can think of from Cabin Nine. If it exists, we've made it."

"If you reqvest it, ve can spell trap de voods." The blond girl next to Will speaks up, and her words make me blink a few times as I run them through my head and interpret them. "I am Galadriel, daught'r of 'Ecate."

There's silence for a few very long seconds, before I nod. "Okay, I think I got that." Though it's kind of hard to tell with such an obviously foreign accent. Kai's is one thing, I've been slowly getting used to that, whenever it slips through. But Galadriel's is…another story entirely.

Will chuckles. "She's from Oslo, so don't feel bad if it's hard to understand her. Basically, Cabin Twenty can let their magic loose into the woods for us. I think that's a good idea." His eyes find Jean in an instant. "Think you can wrangle the Nike Cabin long enough to point them at the Hunters and let them go?"

"Think so? I know so. All ye'll 'ear from those woods are the screams o' the lassies." The daughter of victory smirks, as confident as ever.

Declan shifts from his spot and stands, unrolling a map. "If we take to the southern hills, then my cabin should be on defense, backing up Kai. We can scatter Apollo's archers into scouting parties with the Athena and Aphrodite cabins to engage the Hunters."

"Good plan." I look at the map, imagining the movements. Then, I glance hesitantly at Grayson. "You think that your cabin would agree to be part of the bulk force to draw their attention?"

He nods. "That, we can do." And judging by the way his eyes light up, he's looking forward to it.

"Good." My faith in our chances is only growing. "Then let's plan this out for anything the Hunters can throw at us."

"That's going to be easier said than done." Kai sits up and shuffles over towards the map, gray eyes twinkling. "But if it means taking those girls down a few pegs, I'm in."

 _Let's do this._

* * *

After staying up nearly till curfew with everyone in my cabin, we were forced to break up the meeting so that no one would get eaten by the patrol harpies for being out too long after dark.

Which is why, at breakfast, when every leader in our alliance sits down at the three combined tables at our end of the pavilion, the whole camp knows immediately that something is up. The air is thick with the tension preceding a serious game of capture the flag.

Except that this time, we're all on the same team.

Near the end of breakfast, but while everyone is still in the pavilion, Chiron gets up from the head table, his hooves clopping against the floor and drawing the attention of every head in the room. "As some of you already know, two nights ago, we received word that the Hunters of Artemis will be visiting the camp later today. As such, we will be holding a traditional game of Capture the Flag, campers competing against the Hunters. Those who wish to participate should speak to their cabin leaders, if they have not done so already."

"And we're already talking strategy!" Will raises his cup into the air. "This time, the Hunters are going down!"

Silence reigns in the pavilion for a very long three seconds. Then, cheers erupt all over the place, and I grin down at my plate. _Looks like we've got the camp's support. Good._ Because what I gathered from what we talked about last night, we're going to need it.

Once my plate is clean, I catch Kai's eye, and he glances out of the pavilion, away from all the chaos of a horde of excited demigods. _Does he want to talk?_ Not entirely sure what it is that he wants, I get up and follow him out, the cacophony dimming with every step.

Then, the sun shines off of something on Kai's head, nearly blinding me for a second. When it dims, I squint a little. _No…not on his head…in his…ear?_ Then it hits me. "You're…actually wearing the earrings?" I'd gotten them for him as a birthday present back in December, kind of as a gag, though I still put some effort into picking them out. Crescent moons, silver, to go with his eyes, a little girly, or so I thought when I picked them. On him…not so much. Up an inch above the tiny silver moon is a small ear cuff that twists and wraps up and around the curve of his ear.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Yeah? They're comfortable. I'm only wearing one, though." He turns his head and brushes his hair back from his ear, revealing a small dangling fang on the other ear.

"Oh…I see." He definitely has interesting choices in accessories. "So…what did you wanna talk about?"

"…The Hunters." He glances back towards the pavilion, before heading towards the basketball court. "Come on, let's burn some energy."

I should have known that he would want to shoot some hoops.

"Alright, but I warn you, I'm not a great basketball player." Though the fact that I'm not all that tall probably has something to do with that. What I wouldn't give not to be a little taller…

"That's fine, I'll teach you." Completely undeterred, he walks up to the metal cage that holds the basketballs, shuffling them around and squeezing them until he finds one that he likes, bouncing it off the ground and onto the court.

I join him on the court, catching the ball when he tosses it to me, before bouncing it back to him off the ground. "So, is there something I should know about the Hunters?"

"Yeah, there is." Kai dribbles the ball a bit, before jumping three feet into the air and sending it soaring over my head and right into the basket. "They're dangerous."

Was that some sort of trick statement? A question in disguise? "…Aren't we all dangerous?" I grab the ball on its second bounce, mimicking Kai's dribbling movements as best I can.

Kai watches me, sinking into a defensive position. "Well, yeah, we are, but that's not what I meant." He examines my posture before shaking his head. "Move your hands further apart, it'll help you to support the ball better."

"Okay…" I shift my hands a bit, until the ball settles more comfortably in my hands. "So what makes the Hunters so dangerous?" I bounce the ball off the ground a few more times, always letting it return to the same position in my hands, before shooting it into the air.

Kai jumps up to catch the ball, dribbling it quickly as he re-balances himself. "Every time they come to the camp, they always leave with at least a couple of our campers. They come here to recruit some of the girls to be part of their group."

"So?" I don't see how that would merit a warning. Isn't it well within their rights to come and recruit from the camp? Why would Kai see fit to warn me about that?

He rolls his eyes, before dribbling again, racing towards me, weaving around and tossing the ball up and around his opposite shoulder, straight into the net in what I think should have been an impossible shot. "You're a girl, which means that you're on their recruitment list."

Oh. "So? Just because I'm on their list doesn't mean that I'm going to join them." I retrieve the ball and try to imitate what I saw Kai do with his wrists, the rolling motion as he dribbled. I'm not sure that I'm completely successful, but the change does add a little speed to my own dribbling.

"Even if your godmother is the one who asks you to join?" His silvery eyes darken to a stormy gray. "It's not passive recruitment, they're going to give you all sorts of reasons to join."

Okay…something seems really wrong here. "What's so bad about the Hunters, anyway? Apart from the fact that they haven't lost a single game of Capture the Flag?" Though, I guess, seen from the other side, that could be considered pretty impressive. Though, annoying, since we're the ones who have to manage a way to stop them.

Kai grits his teeth. "Socializing outside of the Hunters would be very hard, especially since they have their own little rules about even talking to guys. And they only visit camp once every few years at most." He surges forward, stealing the ball from my grasp, before dribbling it a moment, and twirling it on the tips of his fingers. "You would leave here, and probably never see any of us again. And even if you did, you wouldn't be able to talk to us. It's a girls' club, and they hate boys. That's the bottom line."

Now…I think I understand the warning. Joining them would mean that I'd lose Sam, Kai, Eran, Caiden, Will, basically all of my friends. That's not a very reassuring thought. "Well, I hadn't planned on joining them, anyway. I mean, why would I be helping with planning the game against them if I was gonna join them?"

"Won't stop them from trying to recruit you." Kai's face is so sour that I almost wonder if he swallowed a whole lemon.

"Hey kid, mind playing me one on one?" A female voice calls out to us, turning my head from the court to see a girl a bit older than Will, with choppy pitch black hair, electric blue eyes, a silver circlet around her head, and silvery camo pants with a black punk-rock style on top of that. And she's staring right at Kai.

I'm not entirely sure who this girl is, but judging by the way that Kai is looking at her, it can't possibly be good. Or, at least, it's not someone that he's particularly eager to see. "Fine, get on the court." He eyes me. "Sit this out. This one's personal." Not an enemy, then, since Kai isn't moving to attack, but...I'm not entirely sure if this is a friend, either.

"Okay…?" In the end, I just honestly have no idea who this girl is or what's going on, or if she's some kind of dangerous. "Do I need to go get help?"

"No, I can handle this." His gaze is fixed on the girl as she settles herself on the court across from him.

She looks confident, to say the least. And there's something about her that's kind of…familiar. "Alright." I settle myself on the grass next to the court so that I can watch in relative comfort.

What rings strange to me is that the two of them are…not quite glaring at each other, but there's definitely some kind of tension between them, though not quite like the tension there usually is between Will and Kai. The boys, I've gotten used to ignoring when they start glaring daggers at each other. But there's something in the air now that really sets me off.

The way she takes off across the court only intensifies that feeling. And despite the fact that she looks only a couple of years older than Kai, at the most, she's clearly had a lot of physical training. At least, the way that she springs forward and scoops the ball away from Kai indicates that. "Try again, kid!" She jumps high into the air, nearly eight feet, and shoots the ball far over Kai's head.

But, not to be completely outdone by her, Kai dashes back to the net, grabbing the ball and sinking low to the ground as he takes off across the court as she touches back down. He's agile and fast, and it's a bit of a thrill to see him racing past her, his eyes constantly darting around, and keeping an eye on her shadow as he presses forward." Don't underestimate me, Hunter."

I blink at his words. _Hunter?_ Then, my eyes turn back to the girl racing after Kai. _Does he mean…one of the Hunters of Artemis?_ But I thought that they weren't supposed to arrive until later today. _Did they arrive early?_

With a sudden snap of his wrist, Kai sends the ball flying, slamming it against the backboard of the net, and straight into the basket. The girl grins at the move. "Nice job. You practice a lot, don't you?" But as Kai ignores the jab, getting back into position as she grabs the ball out from under the net, she frowns. "Come on, you're giving boys a bad name."

Kai's brow furrows under dark bangs. "You really believe that I care what you think?"

"No, but it's fun to tease you. You're as sensitive as Nico." Now THAT makes my own eyebrows knit together. _She knows Nico?_ Though, I suppose that if she's a Hunter, that would only be expected. Nico is a pretty important person at camp, so she would have to be new in order to not know him.

Kai looks about ready to bite her. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" _Yeah…he's definitely on the sensitive side._

"No." She twirls the ball around on a single finger, here piercing blue eyes sliding over to pin me in place. "I just wanted to see who my goddaughter is hanging out with these days. I never expected it to be a son of Hades."

"Goddaughter?" Wait a minute. "Thalia?" I knew her name, of course, and that she was a daughter of Zeus, and a Hunter, but I'd never actually seen her before. At least, not as far as I can remember. Maybe when I was a baby, but I would have been way too young to remember that. But it certainly explains why she looks familiar. She looks like Will and Jason.

"That's right." Her silver circlet glimmers in the sunlight as she turns to face me. "Thalia Grace, Lieutenant to the Lady Artemis, and the leader of her Hunters." She tosses the ball to me, letting me catch it easily. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mini Jackson."

"Mini Jackson?" My eye twitches in irritation. _Did she REALLY just call me that!?_ Just what kind of godmother is she supposed to be? Definitely not a fairy, that's what. Because no fairy would be caught dead in punk-rock clothes that look like they belong to the nineties.


End file.
